What you need:

Step 1

Cut a 4-foot-by-12-foot canvas drop cloth in half widthwise. Place both pieces over a larger plastic tarp or another drop cloth.

Step 2

Mix a little water into three separate colors of latex paint so they’re slightly diluted. Dip your fingers into one color at a time, and flick them onto the canvas. This gives you the most control, but if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, use the same technique with wooden paint stirrers. Let dry.

Step 3

Bring the canvas and chair to a professional upholsterer. To save a little money, you can rip off the old fabric and paint the frame yourself. Semigloss latex paint was used here.

Next Up

Upholstery can be an intimidating project, but it seems more complicated than it actually is. A thrift store arm chair with simple lines, a sturdy frame and good padding makes a perfect subject for a novice upholsterer.